1953 Onehunga by-election

New Zealand by-election April 2024 July 2019 1953 Onehunga by-election New Zealand 1953 presidential no 1951 New Zealand general election 1951 general 1954 New Zealand general election 1954 general Onehunga 1953 12 19 y 13,749 (63.48%) 120px Hugh Watt New Zealand Labour Party 6,868 66.99% 100px Leonard Bradley New Zealand National Party 3,385 33.01% Member Arthur Osborne New Zealand Labour Party Hugh Watt New Zealand Labour Party The Onehunga by-election 1953 was a by-election held in the Onehunga electorate in Auckland during the term of the 30th New Zealand Parliament, on 19 December 1953. The by-election was won by Hugh Watt of the Labour Party. Background The by-election was caused by the death of incumbent MP Arthur Osborne of the Labour Party on 15 November 1953.Wilson 1985 225 In early November 1953 Osborne announced that he was not seeking re-election and would retire at the 1954 general election due to ill health. As a result, Labour had already begun preparations to replace him in the electorate at the time of Osborne's death.Mr Osborne Dies After Long Illness The New Zealand Herald 16 November 1953 10 Candidates Labour There were two nominations for the Labour Party nomination:https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19531117.2.77 Onehunga Seat – Choice of Labour Candidate The Press 17 November 1953 LXXXIX 27199 10 Martyn Finlay, an Auckland lawyer and former MP for North Shore (1946–1949) Hugh Watt, a local engineering business owner and chairman of the Onehunga Labour Representation Committee The chairman of the Auckland Labour Representation Committee, Richard French "Dick" Barter, was also speculated as a candidate but he did not seek the nomination.https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19531116.2.52 By-election in Onehunga – Big Labour Majority in 1951 The Press 16 November 1953 LXXXIX 27198 8 The Labour Party selected Watt as their candidate at a selection meeting on 30 November.https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19531201.2.87 Onehunga Seat – Labour Candidate ay By-election The Press 1 December 1953 LXXXIX 27211 10 He had stood unsuccessfully for Labour in Remuera in 1949 and in Parnell in 1951.Norton 1988 314, 331 A month earlier he had been elected to the Auckland Harbour Board for the Onehunga, Newmarket and combined district.Auckland Harbour Board Election The New Zealand Herald 6 November 1953 4 National Leonard George Bradley was selected as the National Party candidate. Bradley had contested Onehunga in the previous general election in 1951 against Osborne where he slightly increased National's share of the vote. At the 1949 election he had stood unsuccessfully for National in Auckland Central.https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19531127.2.76 Onehunga Seat – National Party's Candidate The Press 27 November 1953 LXXXIX 27208 10 Results The following table gives the election results: Aftermath Watt represented the electorate until he retired at the 1975.Wilson 1985 244 Bradley stood for National in Otahuhu in 1954 and Waitakere in 1957, but was unsuccessful. Notes References Norton Clifford New Zealand parliamentary election results, 1946–1987 1988 Victoria University of Wellington Department of Political Science Wellington 0-475-11200-8 Wilson James Oakley New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 4th First published in 1913 1985 V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer Wellington 154283103 Category:By-elections in New Zealand Category:1953 elections in New Zealand Category:Politics of the Auckland Region Category:December 1953 in Oceania Category:1950s in Auckland